Multi task, exercising, and sport, self propelled backboard, MTESB

ABSTRACT

A multi-task, exercising, sports use type backboard, “MTESB” which is comprised of a number of hinged connected panels with 2 sets of 2 rectangular, telescoping legs configured in the shape of an “A” hinged at the top and connected on each side of the panels. The device, MTESB, is foldable for compact storage and transportation and has a set of casters and handle attached to accommodate this. When unfolded and unlocked and supporting telescoping legs are extended, the device presents a self-supported moveable backboard for sports activities such as, but not limited to, tennis or basketball practice. The device is self-expandable by means of the spring hinges and unfolds automatically when the locking device is released. The unfolded target area for the activity is comprised of the hinged panels and the frontal telescoping legs, which become a total flat target surface to rebound the ball used for the activity. When the activity is completed the device is folded up and moved to storage by means of the casters and handle attached to one of the legs. This invention will provide a unit that has the uniqueness of being large enough to perform various sports activities and yet is able to be folded into a compact unit that is easily transportable and stored.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSERED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The “MTESB” invention is a multi-task exercising sport backboard unitthat provides a means of exercise activities such as tennis, basketballand handball practice and that can be used anywhere such as the backyardor playfield. Being portable it can easily be stored or removed fromstorage to an area of use and can be easily loaded into a vehicle fortransport to a playing field or other determined area.

The invention features and capabilities that are not found in existingbackboards, such as being portable, compact, lightweight andauto-expanding with a minimum of effort on the part of the user.

After being set up and by attaching tennis net to the top and bottom andpartially extending the supporting legs it becomes a unit that providesa means of tennis practice.

When the unit is set up as for basket ball practice, it provides abackboard and an attaching basketball hoop at the top and fullyextending the supporting legs, which simulates the approximate heightand area of a standard basketball backboard.

The unit can also be used for handball or similar activity of bouncingand returning the ball practice and can be adjusted to any desiredheight by means of telescoping the supporting legs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be takenas a limiting sense, but is merely for illustrating the generalprinciples of the invention, since the scope of the invention is bestdefined by the appended claims.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

10 MTESB assembly

11 Flat panel 1

12 Flat panel 2

13 Flat panel 3

14 Flat panel 4

15 Frontal left hand leg

16 Frontal right hand leg

15 a, 15 b, 15 c, 15 d Telescoping frontal left hand leg section

16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d Telescoping frontal right hand leg section

17 a, 17 b, 17 c, 17 d Telescoping rear left hand leg section

18 a, 18 b, 18 c, 18 d Telescoping rear right hand leg section

17 Rear left hand leg

18 Rear right hand leg

19 Leg pair assembly

20 Flat panel assembly

21 Locking spring hinge

22 Locking leg detent button

23 Reversible cushion glide

24 Gripping prongs

25 Glide cavity

31 Locking strap device

32 Lockable leg hinge

33 Leg hinge locking button

40 Tennis configuration

41 Tennis net

42 Hollow net attaching tube

43 Net support bracket

44 Support bracket receptacle

50 Basketball configuration

51 Basketball net

52 Net hoop

54 Attaching bracket

60 Handball configuration

64 Transport handle

68 Transport casters

70 Transport configuration

80 Hockey configuration

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view and illustrates the embodiment of the presentinvention MTESB in the unfolded, locked and useable position with thebackboard in a vertical position 90 degrees to the playing surface andwith telescoping legs extended at an angle to the rear.

FIG. 1B is a top view of invention in an unfolded position with the leftand right legs not opened for use.

FIG. 1C is a top view illustrating the process of unfolding the 4 panelsinto a use position.

FIG. 1D is and end view of the invention in a folded, transport positionshowing the casters and handle used for transport.

FIG. 1E is a cross section view of the lower leg section containing thereversible cushioned glide in the non-skid position for use on a smoothsurface such as a gym floor.

FIG. 1F is a cross section view of the lower leg section containing thereversible cushioned glide in the position to be used on a soft surfacesuch as a lawn or gravel bed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention in the unfolded, lockedand useable position with the backboard in a vertical 90 degrees to theplaying surface and the telescoping legs extended at angle rearward toform the “A” shape.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention in the unfolded, lockedand useable position showing the telescoping legs shortened to provideuse of the invention in a lowered position with tennis nets attachedabove and below the flat panel backboard by means of a wire bracket tocatch a tennis ball.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention in the unfolded, lockedposition and fully extended legs with a basket ball net and ringattached by means of a “U” shaped bracket at the top of the flat panelbackboard.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention folded and in thetransport position with casters and transport handle ready to betransported to another location or storage area.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the invention in the hockeyconfiguration with the telescoping legs completely collapsed and thebackboard at ground level to accommodate hockey puck shooting practice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates in a frontal view, the invention 10 in a use positionwith the unfolded backboard presenting a flat multi-paneled surface 20,consisting of flat rectangular panels 11, 12, 13, 14 which are composedof aluminum or composite material and are hinged together with hinges 21and arranged between the rectangular telescoping legs 19 which arerectangular in shape and of aluminum, or composite material and shown ina fully extended position with leg sections 15 b, 15 c, 15 d and 16 a,16 b, 16 c being locked by the detent buttons 22. This view does notshow the rear set of legs 17,18 which are hinged via a lockable hinge 32at the top of each pair of legs 19 to form an “A” when the hinge 32 isunlocked by depressing the button 33 and opened. The top leg section 15a, 16 a is also hinged to panel sections 11, 14 thus providingadditional backboard space. This presents an elevated flat backboardsurface that permits a ball to bounce against it. The telescoping legspermit the flat panel section to be elevated to any desired positionwithin the limits of the legs. The unit is not limited by the number offlat panels or the length or the width of these panels as custom sizesfor alternate uses can be assembled for a variety of special use such asa partition or space divider or a display board.

FIG. 2 illustrates the “A” shape of the legs 15, 16, 17, 18 in anunfolded, fully extended and use position with the lower sections 15 d,16 d, 17 d, 18 d having inserted by force fit in the cavity of the leg25, the self gripping cushioned glides 23 comprised of a soft rubberlike composition for use on a smooth surface as also seen in thedetailed cross section in FIG. 1E. The glides can be reversed andre-inserted in the cavity 25 as seen in detailed cross section 1F sothat the 2 gripping prongs 24 will present a gripping force for used ona soft permeable surface such as a lawn or gravel as shown in FIG. 1F.

FIG. 3 illustrates another use of the invention as a practice net fortennis. In this case the unit can be configured so by inserting into acircular recessed receptacle 44 on the outer side of the telescopinglegs 15 and 16 an angle shaped wire 43 creating a vertically stable mastfor insertion with a hollow tube 42 to which a net 41 is stretched andfastened. This configuration can be also repeated at the bottom sectionof the legs to present another stop net for balls that would go underthe panels. Also, the legs 15, 16, 17, 18 are not extended fully asdepicted in the length (x) so as to present the normal height of aregulation tennis net.

FIG. 4 illustrates another use of the invention configured as abackboard for practicing basketball 50. In this case the legs 15, 16,17, 18 are fully extended as depicted in the length (y) to provide thenormal height of a regulation basketball backboard. A net 51 and hoop 52are then positioned over the top of the panels by means of a vertically“U” shaped bracket 54.

FIG. 5 illustrates the invention fully collapsed and locked togetherinto a compact form and in a storage and moveable position 70 which isattained by collapsing the telescoping legs 15,16,17,18, into the topsections 15 a, 16 a, 17 a, 18 a, from the extended position, thenfolding flat from the opened position, the panels 11,12,13,14, in whichthe hinges 21 are closed and folded and the telescoping legs 15, 16, 17,18 are folded flat against each other and locked each together at thetop by locking the hinge 32. The tension of the hinges 21 is overcome byclasping together the two ends of the locking straps 31. The unit is nowcompacted and ready to transport on casters 68 and by holding ontohandle 64 to a desired storage area or to a vehicle. This process isreversed when moved from storage area to a location where the inventionwill be set up for use.

FIG. 6 illustrates the invention configured to a hockey practiceposition 80 with the telescoping legs 15, 16, 17, 18, completelycollapsed with the backboard 20 and the frontal legs 15 and 16 in avertical position 90 degrees from the horizontal ground with the rearlegs 17 and 18 canted at an angle rearward.

1- A Multi Task Exercising and Sport Backboard, named “MTESB” (10),comprising of: A flat rectangular backboard (20) containing a number ofrectangular units (11-14) attached together by spring hinges (21) andlocking devices, four rectangular telescoping leg units (15-18) arrangedin two pairs of front and rear legs wherein each pair is attachedtogether at the top by a locking hinge (32) and the front legs beinghinged to the edge surfaces of the backboard (20) to form additionalflat surface area for the backboard when unfolded by releasing thelocking device. 2- The device of claim 1 wherein a number of rectangularunits (11-14), form a backboard rigid surface of approximately, but notlimited to 4 feet wide, and supported by a set of telescoping hingedlegs (15-18) which open to form an “A” framed support at each side andcan extend to a length of eight feet, forming the unfolded unit (10)“MTESB”. 3- The device of claim 1 wherein the “MTESB” units can be madeout of any suitable material that the sum of their weight should notexceed 150 pounds. 4- The device of claim 1 wherein the material hereinused to manufacture the units must be strong and capable of resistingexercising strains, able to absorb impacts of bouncing a tennis ball orbasketball against it. 5- The device of claim 1 wherein spring hinges(21) are mounted each, one near the top and the other near the bottom atthe side edges of each two adjacent units (11-14). 6- The device ofclaim 1 wherein spring hinges (21) are mounted in alternatingarrangements with two of them in the front of one of the units and twoin the back of the next unit, therefore all the units constituting thebackboard (20) will form a uniform flat rectangular surface (20) whenunlocked and unfolded and will lock together when releasing the lockingstrap device (31). 7- The device of claim 1 wherein the spring hinge(21) tension is strong enough to open the folded units when the lockingstrap device (31) is unlocked or unclasped, and not too strong as to bea burden on the user to fold the hereto units when needed. 8- The deviceof claim 1 wherein each end of the locking strap device (31) is attachedto each side of the legs (17,18) by means of a rivet and claspedtogether serves to restrain the panels in a folded and transportableposition of one on top of the other thereby overcoming the springtension of the hinges (21). 9- The device of claim 1 wherein thearrangement of the locking strap device (31) can vary as long as itwould do the same task that it is assigned for and as long as it doesnot restrain the movement of the other parts of the backboard (20) whenreleasing their locking devices. 10- The device of claim 1 wherein thetelescoping leg units (15,16,17,18) are made each of rectangular hollowtubes that collapse inside each other and lock by means of a detentbutton (22) so that they give an extended variable length of each legunit. 11- The device of claim 1 wherein the four telescoping leg unitsare arranged in two pairs (19) and each pair is attached at the top by alockable hinge (32). 12- The device of claim 1 wherein the twotelescoping legs in each pair (19) are attached together with means of ahinge attachment (32), and accordingly, form a support frame in theshape of an “A” for the backboard section (20). 13- The device of claim1 wherein a handle (64) is attached to the leg unit (18) near the lowerend and two casters (72) located and attached at the upper end of theleg unit (18) allow for transporting the assembly. 14- The device ofclaim 1 wherein the MTESB (10) when unfolded and set up in the tennisconfiguration (40) and at the desired height by adjusting thetelescoping leg units (19) can be used for tennis practice or exercise.15- The device of claim 1 wherein the MTESB (10) when unfolded and setup in the basketball configuration (50) and at the desired height byadjusting the telescoping leg units (19) can be used for basketballpractice or exercise. 16- The device in claim 1 wherein the MTESB (10)when unfolded and set up in a handball configuration (60) and at thedesired height by adjusting the telescoping leg units (19) to thedesired height, as a handball wall. 17- The device of claim 1 whereinthe MTESB (10) when folded is more compact, flexible, and portable thanany similar device and can be used in many applications, such as, butnot limited to, a divider panel or a hockey practice stop. 18- The“MTESB” mentioned hereto in claim 1 is a multi task exercising and sportdevice that can be used by various ages and has various flexible uses,is mobile, and easily portable and can be used at home in the backyard,at school, or transported via vehicle to a remote practice site or othersite. It also has the asset of being compact for storage in small areas